Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:47:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Claudiu I.
Subject: Divine Punishment 8
Be warned, this story portrays gay relationships. SHOCKING, I know!
But wait, there's more! No sex! Are you still conscious? Good. What I mean
by that is that this is intended to be more a PG-13 story. Well, in terms
of sex, anyway. You can't expect no swearing, now can you? So, if you're
looking for some masturbation material, there are plenty other fine sources
around, but this story, I am sorry to say, is not one of them.
Keeping that in mind, if you decide to go ahead and read, feel free to
always contact me at ghostofoldtrafford@yahoo.com
DIVINE PUNISHMENT
Chapter 8
"Listen, Jordan...Ohh...Yeah...Listen, we gotta...Mmmm..." I shoved him
away from me, before he could suck my lungs out through my mouth.
"What's up, Xander?" he asked, pouting, but still moving backwards, toward
his bed, dragging me along with him, by the hem of my shirt. "Come on. I
read some stuff I just GOTTA try out!"
"Yeah, sure, but listen. I'm not really in the mood..." Now that was such a
weak lie, I knew even a 4-year-old could see through my bullshit. And
Christopher said that it's better to have sex than think about it, because
it's so distracting, so...why not?
"Not in the mood?" Jordan grinned. "You're an insatiable little beast and
you know it."
"Fair enough. But...I was thinking we could talk." Yes, I needed to do
this. I needed to tell him the truth. The whole truth and nothing but the
truth. And I had Terry there to help me out. Normally, he wouldn't be
anywhere within 20 feet of Jordan's room when we were in there alone, with
the door closed, for fear of getting scarred for the rest of his...err,
un-life by the images he might see. However, knowing that I wanted to tell
Jordan everything, he decided to stick around this time. You know, to give
me a hand. The "I'll tell you something only your beloved dead one would
know" trick. Always works in the movies. If I played it right, I'd either
convince Jordan of my connection with his dead cousin, or that I'm a creepy
stalker, prying into the most intimate details of his life. So...win-win,
really.
"Oh, thank God. I was just about to get the hell out of here. I thought you
lost your nerve." Terry said. "I have no intention of sitting
through...whatever."
"Sure, babe." Jordan said, his voice taking on a more serious tone, but a
smile still on his face. "What do ya wanna talk about?"
"Can we...?" I gestured toward the headboard of the bed and Jordan promptly
rearranged some pillows for comfort, then we both sat against them, side by
side, fingers interlaced.
"You told me a lot about yourself. And your family. And I can't tell you
how much it means to me that you would trust me with all of that."
"Of course I trust you." Jordan said, turning my head with his hand, so
that we would face each other. "You told me you loved me. I wouldn't have
answered you if I didn't mean it. Yeah, I'm young, but I don't take those
words lightly. I love you too, Xander. Which is why I told you all of
that."
"Right. So, you'd want to know everything about me too."
"Yes. But only if you were okay with telling me everything. I respect the
fact that we all have some secrets and some are harder to let go of, even
for those we love."
"Yeah, but, what if it were something major. Like, earth-shattering. Or
something that could endanger you?"
"You're not a drug dealer or hired killer, are you?" Jordan asked, his
smile broadening. "Because, I have to tell you, I got a dangerous vibe from
you the moment I first laid eyes upon you. And since I fall for the bad
boys, I just couldn't help myself." He was almost laughing now and I
couldn't help but smile in return.
"Yeah, yeah. Funny. But I'm being serious. You'd want to know the truth,
even at the cost of your relationship, right?"
Jordan stopped grinning now and looked thoughtful. He stared straight ahead
at the blank wall and I could practically see the wheels turning in his
head.
"Are you seeing someone else?"
"What?! NO! I swear."
Jordan exhaled loudly. "Okay. So, as I told you, my philosophy when it
comes to relationships is simple. If there's love, you stick with it, no
matter what. It's not as easy as it sounds, I'm sure. But as long as
there's love..." He looked straight into my eyes. "So, do you love me?"
"Yes, but..."
"Would you do anything to intentionally hurt me?"
"No, but..."
"Then, whatever it is you want to tell me can wait until you're ready. I
can tell that moment isn't now. Yes, trust and sharing are required to make
things work. But so is patience. And I'm a patient guy. Whatever it is, it
can wait." And once again I was in his strong arms, tasting his sweet lips,
reason lost to desire. Yes, it could wait, I thought, as Jordan started
pulling my shirt over my head.
"Chicken shit." Terry said, groaning. "I'm outta here."
Yes, I'm weak, alright? I just wasn't ready to expose all of my inner crazy
to Jordan. And he seemed okay with it for now, so why rush it? I hear
make-up sex is great, but it was good enough without the arguing and the
shouting and the break-up, so why push my luck?
"Everyone excited about the big game this Friday?" Justin asked.
So, here I was, the next day, after 7 hours spent learning the secrets of
the universe – or what passes for that in the high-school curriculum
– at a new GSA meeting. I liked most of the people there and had gotten
to know them better, even if there was one annoying person in the group,
namely Ryan, the cute red-head with an attitude problem. But, like I said,
the rest were okay, especially Justin, the President. And it held
sentimental value, due to the Jordan connection. Yes, I'm a sap.
"Ugh."
"Give me a break."
"Football?"
"Hell yeah!" answered Jordan and Ryan. Jordan I could understand, but Ryan?
"What? I like football. Especially football players."
"Speaking of football players and the game against Lincoln, there's a rumor
that Terry Williamson had a secret girlfriend at that school and now
they're saying she's pregnant!" a guy called Jesse, who was attending only
his second meeting, put in.
"Oh, for cryin' out loud! That's bullshit!" Terry exclaimed.
"The guy's dead. Can we move on to more relevant gossip?" Tara, one of the
girls said. And thank God for that. Jordan looked ready to go all Hulk on
the room. I leaned over to him and squeezed his hand, trying to reassure
him. He answered me with a small smile and he seemed to settle down.
"Yeah, let's talk about live football hunks, shall we? Like Williamson's
buddy, Henry Willis, the coach's son." Ryan cut in.
"What about him?" asked Justin.
"We had sex." Ryan answered smugly.
Ryan...Grr! There he was, like the little attention whore he is, making an
ass of himself and trying to get everyone to notice him. The little bitch!
Yes, okay, I REALLY didn't like the kid. He was too full of himself.
"I'm telling you, he's a fag. And if he's not, I'll turn him into one by
the end of the week." Ryan said to the group. See? Told you he's a
prick. "I sucked him off and he said it was better than any head he's ever
gotten from a girl. I'll get him to fuck me within days. Macho football
players. They say they don't want it, that they're not queer, but once they
get a taste, they're hooked. Bet you half of them are gay."
"Oh, brother!" Terry exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "I know Willis. And yes,
I realize that some of the biggest homophobes act that way just because
they're trying to mask their own homosexuality, but trust me when I say
that Willis ain't gay. And he's a bigger asshole than I ever was. Ginger
over there better watch his back."
"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna be the one to point that out." I murmured under
my breath.
"What was that?" Ryan asked with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing, man. More power to you." I said, raising my fist in a show of
mock-support. "Fucking prick." I whispered again.
"You're just jealous because he's cuter than you, aren't you?" Terry asked,
laughing. I sneered, as if the very notion were offensive. "You ARE!" Terry
went on. "You're both kinda tiny, you're cute in your own, nerdy way, but
that red hair actually looks good on the kid and he has you beat." I just
gritted my teeth, refusing to rise to the bait. After all, that's all it
was. An attempt to rile me up. There was no way Ryan was cuter than me. I
mean, I had the pasty complexion and dark hair combo down. And with my good
pair of glasses, I actually looked stylish. And sure, Ryan has those
dimples and freakishly white teeth and cute little button nose with a few
freckles sprinkled around, just enough to give him a mischievous aura
without turning into a caricature and that mop of red hair was strangely
attractive...Fuck, he WAS cuter than me! And he was sitting on the other
side of Jordan. And seemed to go for the big, hunky guys. How long until he
made his move on my man? Oh, this was not gonna happen. I'll turn him to
jelly before I let him win!
"...and I'll have pictures to prove it!" Ryan said. I guess he had been
talking all that time, but I tend to tune the prick out.
"You're out of your mind!" Jordan exclaimed. "You're gonna take pictures of
you and the football team running back having sex? Does that not register
as an extremely bad idea, even to your puny brain?" Yeah, you tell him,
honey! I was beaming by now. I guess I had no reason to worry. Jordan
disliked the asshat just as much as I did. "Hell, forget the pictures, the
sex part itself is a bad idea."
"Oh, please, mister high and mighty. I told you, he's gay. He's just in
denial."
"Has the thought that he's simply getting his rocks off ever crossed your
mind? Having sex with a guy doesn't make him gay. You of all people should
know that it doesn't work that way. A straight man can have sex with
another man. It's not the act itself that counts, it's the desire. The
attraction."
"Tomato, tomahto."
"Tell me, has he ever reciprocated? Has he ever kissed you? At least given
you a hug? A pat on the head, like a faithful dog?"
"No, but that doesn't mean anything." Ryan said, shooting daggers at
Jordan. Yes, I definitely did not need to worry about the two of them
getting together any time soon. "He just needs time."
"Face it, man. He's straight. He heard you give great head and thought he'd
take you out for a spin. That's all. He enjoyed it, I'm sure, but he's not
gonna be doing the same to you anytime soon. And if you're content with
that kind of relationship, and I use the term lightly, then go for it. Suck
for all you're worth, but getting him drunk and taking pictures...that's
beyond retarded. I'd say it's suicidal." Jordan finished, crossing his arms
over his chest and staring straight at Ryan.
"Whatever, man. You're just jealous because you're stuck with that shrimp
over there." Ryan said, pointing at me.
"Why, you little..." I started, but I was cut off by Ryan crashing to the
ground, his chair buckling under him. "I guess you're not that little after
all" I said, after I stopped laughing. "Put on some extra pounds, did you?
Careful now, those football players like their cheerleaders skinny, fat
ass!" I grabbed Jordan by the hand and pulled him after me, as I left the
room. "Ciao!" I threw back over my shoulder to the rest of the group. Did I
know how to make an exit or what?
"You're welcome." Terry said, walking next to me. I merely smiled widely
and nodded contentedly. Yes, having a guardian ghost definitely had its
advantages.
Friday. Day of the big game. I was bubbling over with excitement. Yawn!
Okay, so I was a casual football fan, but high-school rivalries? They're
just stupid. Lincoln Tigers vs. Washington Warriors. Ugh! Who gives a
flying squirrel crap?
"Let's go Warriors!" shouted Jordan from behind me, making me jump. I
turned around and then promptly fell over, laughing.
"What?" he asked. "It's not that bad." He said, sounding genuinely
hurt. "Is it?" he asked, running back into the bathroom, to make sure.
"No, it's not bad...if you're auditioning for the Blueman Group." Jordan
came back into his bedroom and I forced myself to examine his blue-painted
face and hair, with a white "W" on each cheek without breaking back down
into fits of laughter. I failed.
"Aw, come on! I'm just showing school spirit."
"Dude, this is your first semester here."
"All the more reason for it, then. Show that I belong."
"Belong in an insane asylum, you mean."
"By the by, did you talk to Dr. Watkins?"
"Yeah. Wait...did you just call me insane?" I asked in a level voice.
"No. What I mean was...Err...It's just that you said yesterday that you
needed to ask him something and you didn't want to wait for your
session. It's not that you're crazy. I mean, I know you had some issues,
but, umm...What I'm trying to say is...err..." He was getting pretty
uncomfortable now and I was loving every second of his squirming. So, I
just kept on staring unblinking straight at him. He was looking everywhere
except at me. It was quite amusing and cute at the same time.
"I'm not questioning your mental health. But you mentioned insanity and I
thought of Dr. Watkins and you being his patient and...Crap, I'm really
messing this up, aren't I? Umm...I love you?"
"You better, cause it's the only thing keeping you alive right now." I
answered. I held on to my poker face for a few seconds more, then I smiled
and moved right in front of him. He kissed me and I nearly gagged. "Christ,
did you get paint on your lips as well?"
"Oops, sorry `bout that. Must've gotten some on by accident. It's not that
bad, actually.
"Insane, I tell you." Then I rushed off into the bathroom to dig out the
toothbrush I kept there for our "sleepovers".
Yes, I had called Dr. Watkins. I needed his opinion on how to approach the
"seeing ghosts" subject with Jordan. Mind you, I had no intention of
getting locked up in the nuthouse again, so I wasn't about to tell the good
doctor that I hadn't been crazy when I was younger and it was all true and
merely the tip of the iceberg. No, I simply told him that I wanted to share
with Jordan the reason why I was in the Den of Crazy in the first place. He
knew I had spent time in Hightower, just not why. I figured starting with
that and then working my way to "Guess what? I was actually quite sane and
ghosts are real" was the way to go.
Dr. Watkins simply said I shouldn't beat around the bush and just spill
it. Short and honest. If Jordan really cared for me, he'd be supportive. He
seemed to brush over any potential psychological harm that Jordan laughing
in my face and then dumping me might cause. I was starting to think that
Dr. Watkins wasn't all that good at his job.
"Ready to go?" Jordan asked.
"Yeah, sure. Gooo team!"
"Don't overdo it on my account." He giggled.
So, Jordan drove us over to the school, where we barely managed to find a
parking spot. We then joined the crowd and made our way into the stadium. I
think even the Cowboys would be envious of our stadium. Covered stands,
fancy seats, state-of-the-art scoreboard and an army of Mexicans hired to
take care of the turf so that it's always in perfect shape. Yes, the
athletics department gets more money than any other. Makes sense, seeing as
Coach Willis pretty much runs the place and Principal Morris is a
moron. Not that I'd ever encourage rumor mongering and slander, but that's
just what "they" say...
"Hey, guys! Jordan, Xander, over here!" We looked around, trying to make
out who was calling our names and we finally spotted Justin with a cute
bleach-blond guy I'd never seen before,sitting a few rows above. "Come on,
we saved you some seats." He shouted, waving us over.
Jordan didn't seem too convinced. He glanced farther down the stand, where
a bunch of other guys were painted like idiots. Not that Jordan's an idiot
or anything. He looked back and forth between the freak show and me,
seemingly undecided. I thought I'd let him off the hook and allow him to
enjoy himself.
"Go on" I said. "Join the herd and run rampant."
"You sure? I mean, you could join us over there."
I looked at the morons who were bumping chests and making animal
noises. "Err, I'll pass, thanks. Have fun, but I expect you to go back to
normal once the game is over. Don't go native on me 24/7, you hear?"
"Yep." He grinned and hugged me tightly. "I'll be good. I'll check up on
you at half-time, okay?"
"Check up on me? I don't need a babysitter!"
"Oh, don't get all pissy." Pissy, he says. Slap some paint on him and he
thinks he's He-Man. Pfft! "How `bout a good luck kiss?"
"You're not playing, so you're not the one who needs the luck. And I ain't
getting that blue shit on me again. So, you'll just have to wait until
later. Now scoot." He winked and ran off to join the circus. Terry shrugged
and went after Jordan. I guess that made sense. He'd want to be with his
crowd, even if no one knew he was there. I just sighed and made my way up
the stairs until I got to Justin.
"Hey, what about Jordan?"
"Let him have his fun with the other painted freaks. I've decided on more
civilized company."
"Well done. This is Gabe." He said, gesturing towards the blond. He had
short, spiked hair and aside from that, he looked very similar to
Justin. About 5'10", somewhat on the skinny side, a hint of a tan and green
eyes. We shook hands and I couldn't help but stare at him.
"Ahem." Justin interrupted.
"Huh?"
"Gabe, this is Xander."
Gabe giggled and I managed to speak again. "Sorry, it's just that you two
look so similar. I didn't know you were so much into yourself, Justin. A
bit narcissistic, don't you think?"
"What?" they both basically shouted, then Justin started laughing. Gabe
just shook his head, an amused expression on his face.
"Dude, he's not my boyfriend. He's my brother." Justin explained.
"Oh. Well, that makes sense."
"Seriously, Xander, you're a smart guy most of the time, but you can be
pretty dumb. You see a guy who looks just like me and you think we're
dating, rather than jumping to the natural conclusion that we're related?"
"Yeah, well, in my defense...err...kissing cousins."
"That's just nasty." Gabe said, still smiling. We all sat down and started
chatting, ignoring the crowd around us. Turns out Gabe was 18 and just
started college, but was back home for the weekend.
"So, what's with the hair?" I asked. "Lost a bet or something?"
"What, you don't think it looks good on me?"
"No, but I just thought that, well, it would be Justin that would, you
know..."
Again, both brothers burst into laughter. "Yeah, yeah, he's the gay one, he
should be sporting this do, but I just thought I'd do the big brother thing
and show my solidarity."
"How so?"
"Well, when Justin came out this summer, I wasn't all that supportive. Not
that I had any problem with it, it's just that I was busy with getting
ready for college and spending time with high-school friends before we each
went our separate ways. Anyway, dad...well, he didn't take it too well. And
I wasn't there most of the time to talk some sense into him. I thought he'd
have gotten over it by now, but he's still being a jerk to Justin, so I'm
playing gay this weekend."
Now I was really speechless. I looked at him with what I'm sure was obvious
bewilderment showing on my face.
"Yeah, I got the hair down, Justin's doing a make-over and I have my
roommate from college dropping by tomorrow. He'll be playing the role of my
boyfriend. He's a theater major and basically jizzed his pants when he
heard I wanted to do this. He called it `the greatest role of his young
career' or something".
"But...why?"
"Just a not-so-subtle way of telling my dad that either he stops treating
Justin like shit or he loses both sons."
I looked over at Justin and saw that he had tears in his eyes. I never
would have guessed that he didn't have the full support of his family. He
always seemed so confident with who he was. Hell, he was the GSA President
and had a rainbow pin on his backpack. He was the very definition of out
and proud. But I guess that I really didn't know too much about him,
outside of school stuff.
"That's why I went for the GSA presidency. I wanted to prove both to my dad
and to myself that I'm proud of who I am. But I gotta tell ya, what Gabe is
doing means a hell of a lot to me. It's easy to say that you're okay with
the way some people treat you, but sitting up at night, thinking about
it...it still hurts. Having this kind of support from him means more than I
can say."
Gabe hugged him and kissed the top of his head. "Anything for little bro. I
love you, okay?" Justin nodded and wiped away the tears threatening to run
down his cheeks, then sniffed and broke into a huge smile.
"Don't I have the greatest big brother ever?"
"Yeah. You do, actually." I smiled as well. The love these two brothers
shared really touched my heart. Naturally, Ryan had to come along and ruin
the mood.
"What the hell are you women crying about?" he asked and as he spoke, I
felt a strong aroma of vodka coming off him. Great. A drunk
Ryan. Guaranteed to be 200% more annoying than the basic model.
"Oh, for Pete's sake! Why must God punish me so?" I moaned.
"D'you really want me to answer that?" Ryan asked, as I scowled at
him. Then the bastard proceeded to sit down in the empty spot next to me,
where Jordan was supposed to be. Damn me and my generosity, letting Jordan
do his stuff. I wanted to go down to hiss row and drag him back
there. Hell, I was contemplating dunking my head in a bucket of paint, so I
could fit in and just stay there. I honestly had no intention of spending
the rest of the game with Ryan by my side.
"You don't mind me sitting here, do you?"
"Actually..."
"Great. Thanks, pal. This is right on the 50-yard line. Awesome." Then he
pulled a metal flask out of his jacket and took a swig. The thing even had
the double Mars symbol engraved on it. It actually made me consider buying
a pride necklace or something. Then Ryan burped and the smell almost made
me vomit, so any such thoughts quickly left my mind.
Meanwhile, on the field, football stuff was going on or something. I dunno,
the crowd was cheering, but I was too busy looking down in disgust at Ryan,
who seemed hell-bent on getting smashed.
"YEAH, BABY!" Ryan shouted and I turned my attention back to the
game. Seems his imaginary boyfriend Willis ran the ball to the 5-yard
line. Now that Terry had kicked the bucket, the team relied more on its
rushing plays. So, first and goal and, wouldn't you know it? Touchdown
Willis. Yippee!
"Oh, he sooo deserves what he's getting tonight!" Ryan exclaimed, grinning
and slapping his ass. I merely put my head down in my hands and groaned,
wishing for the game to be over and Jordan and I to get down to serious
business. "Yeah, Henry! YEAH, BABE! You show `em!" he yelled, attracting
curious and bemused glances from pretty much everyone within hearing
distance which, considering how well voices carry in the stadium – they
made sure the acoustics were just right, so the team would feel empowered
by the crowd – was, err...at least half the stadium. Including the
players. I couldn't be too sure, what with the helmet and everything, but I
think Willis was red and it wasn't the "cute embarrassment" red either. It
was more the "I shall kill you in a painful and disgusting, CSI-worthy
manner" red. Can't say I blame him, what with the other players
sniggering. Yeah, this definitely wouldn't end well.
By the end of the game, my head was pounding, Ryan was close to an
alcohol-induced coma and our mighty Warriors had won 17-9. On the bright
side, I really got to know Justin more as we talked and his brother really
seemed like a great guy and I was happy to now consider him my friend. As
the crowds started dissipating, moving towards the exits, Jordan came up to
us, beaming as if he had scored the winning touchdown himself.
"What are you so happy about?" I inquired. I tried to sound as grave and
upset as possible, but that silly grin of his was too much for me. I pulled
him in for a quick kiss, ignoring the paint, then I checked around to make
sure there were no mobs with flaming torches heading our way. The coast is
clear, so I went in for seconds.
"Mmm. Nice. I needed that. And I'm smiling because we won. And I'm sure my
support went a long way towards assuring said victory."
"Am I gonna have to cut you off for a while in order to get that expanding
ego in check?"
"No, please. Anything but that. I am but your humble servant."
"Better. Now come on, I want you to meet Gabe Hutchins, Justin's brother."
The two of them shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, then we heard a baby
seal getting squished by an 18-wheeler. Or it might have been Ryan throwing
up. The smell confirmed this hypothesis. The sight itself was ungodly.
"What's with him?" Jordan asked, arching an eyebrow.
"He has a bright future in AA, that's all I'm gonna say." I looked down at
Ryan, who was hunched over the now vomit-covered seat in front of him. I
heaved a sigh and decided to play good Samaritan. "Come on, let's take `im
with us. He might do something stupid if we leave him here, like hit on
Willis or something. Anyone know where he lives?"
"Yeah, I do." Justin said. "Err, you guys can follow us if you want. I'll
drive Gabe's car and you keep pace. Because I'm definitely not getting that
thing in my car."
"I...I...not a fing!" Ryan slurred.
"You're a stupid thing." Terry said, appearing at my side. "You should
leave his sorry ass here. Willis is gonna kick his ass. What was he
thinking, shouting that?"
I didn't answer. There was no need to, even if I could. I knew he was
right. But the least I could do was make sure Willis didn't come across
Ryan in his current state. Things might go horribly wrong. I disliked the
fucker, but I didn't want to see him dead.
"Come on, help me get him up." I said to Jordan.
"No, I'll do it. I'm taller." Gabe interjected. Who was I to object? He was
right and I didn't really want puke on my jacket.
So, with me in the lead, Jordan and Gabe dragging Ryan in-between them and
Justin bringing up the rear, we slowly and clumsily made our way to the
parking lot. Just as I was about to open the rear door of Jordan's car, I
felt it. It was Terry, telling me something. No, he wasn't talking. He was
thinking it and I reacted immediately. "Get down!" I yelled, dropping to
the pavement as a large rock flew over my head and smashed into the side
window.
"What the hell?" Jordan and Gabe shouted, as they crouched down, Ryan lying
on his side, Justin flat on his stomach, his hands covering his head.
"The fag brigade!" Willis shouted, as he and 4 of his buddies came towards
us, still in their uniforms, but without the shoulder pads and helmets. "I
wanted to just take care of the red-head, but I can't pass an opportunity
like this. Pryce, we have unfinished business. And Hutchins, you're a
bonus."
"Fuck that. You touch my brother and I'll kill you." Gabe said,
straightening up and putting as much menace into his voice as possible. It
was brave, but hardly awe-inspiring, as Willis and his pals had him beat by
a few inches and more than a few pounds. Willis started laughing and I
would have too if I were him.
"Back off, Willis. I'm not gonna tell you again." Jordan said, taking a
step towards the football players.
"Hey, you're Williamson's cousin, aren't you? I heard you were a cocksucker
too, but I guess this just confirms it. But since me and your cousin were
tight, I'm gonna give you a pass. Get in your car, drive away and I'll
forget you were here. I even promise not to mess up your little boyfriend
too much. How's that for an offer you can't refuse?"
Jordan looked back at me, then turned to face Willis once again. "Not
fucking likely." Then he rushed head-first at Willis and hit him with his
shoulder in the abdomen, taking him off his feet. They landed with a thump
on the hard asphalt and immediately started wrestling like mad men. It
definitely wasn't a Matrix-like fight. Two of Willis' buddies ran over to
help him and one of them kicked Jordan hard in the side, making him cry out
in pain. That was all I needed. I was pissed again.
I noticed that the other 2 goons were now coming towards us and I wasn't in
the mood to play around. I'm still not exactly sure how I did it, but I
swear the air around me started crackling with small bursts of
lightning. "Run. I'm only giving you this one warning." I told the two of
them as I started walking determinedly toward them and, more specifically,
Jordan behind them. The two morons just looked at each other in confusion
and then made the wrong call. They both came at me fast, but I guess all
that getting slammed around during my sessions with Christopher had indeed
worked its magic. Before they made it more than two feet, I flicked my
wrist at them and I felt the raw energy surge through me. I had done some
crazy stuff with Terry before, but this was different. This
was...powerful. Far more powerful than I ever imagines. This was what
Christopher meant. Terry and I were finally in sync and it was amazing. I
felt everything around me. I saw everything more clearly, and the time
itself seemed to slow down. I was in tune with Terry and, through him, with
the universe, it seemed. And it gave me one hell of a rush. The two pricks
flew across the parking lot and slammed into a car almost 60 feet away. The
sound of the alarm going off upon impact drew the attention of Willis, as
he was now punching Jordan in the stomach, the other two guys were
restraining my boyfriend. Jordan's head was lolling from side to side and
blood was trickling from his mouth. I felt Terry's anger as strong as my
own.
"What the fuck?" Willis asked, taken aback at the sight of two of his
compadres lying knocked out cold on the ground. He stared at me for half a
minute as I strode towards him.
The anger was boiling deep inside me. I'd never felt anything like it. Raw
emotion, powerful hatred, driven by seemingly unlimited power. It burned
inside me and yelled for release. So I let it out. I let it all out and a
swirling inferno of flames encircled the five of us. I forgot all about
Ryan, Justin and Gabe. I had no idea if they were okay and what they
thought about all this. And frankly, I couldn't care less. My mind was
focused on one thing only, an all-consuming blaze and that fire was hungry
for Willis. I saw fear in his eyes. Real fear. The kind I knew was
reflected in my own eyes each time they harassed me. I kept moving towards
them and the circle of fire started shrinking in on us as I did so.
They let go of Jordan, who slumped to his knees. He managed to prop himself
up on his hands and he looked up at me. He was alright. That's all that
mattered. I didn't know what he saw right then. Was it a terrifying
spectacle? A wonder? A freak show? Did it scare him as much as it scared
Willis? Again, I didn't care. He was alright. That's what I wanted. That
and to see Willis hurt. I kept marching towards him. He backed up from
Jordan, but he immediately felt the hot flames licking at his back.
"Please! Stop!" he shouted, tears of dread in his eyes. "STOP!"
But I couldn't. I closed my fist tightly and the fire came together to form
a bright, hot sphere of deadly light. Willis breathed a sigh of relief, but
it was short-lived, as I sent the sphere straight at his face.
"XANDER!" Jordan. Jordan's voice rang through my head and the haze of anger
slipped away. Jordan was okay. That was what mattered, not hurting
Willis. I opened my hand and the ball of fire flickered out just as it was
about to burn a bright hole in Willis' skull. The big football player
stayed in place for a minute, trembling, then his knees buckled and he
collapsed. He was fine, apart from his seared eyebrows. Frightened, but
otherwise fine. I'm sure his pants weren't in good shape, though. I looked
over at his two buddies, who were in a similar state.
Then I turned my attention to Jordan. He was staring intently at me. I
couldn't read his expression. I had no idea of what I should do or say. How
would he react? Running away in horror would probably be justified. Hell,
he might turn me in to the authorities, claiming I'm a dangerous mutant.
We stared at each other for a minute longer, the world around us silent and
forgotten.
"I think you should say something." Terry told me softly.
I nodded and opened my mouth to speak. What came out could only be
classified as a squeal. I coughed and I finally found my voice. "Err,
remember our talk about secrets? Well, my secrets kinda include ghosts and
magical powers..."